Surfing, Uncategorized

FOOTSTRAPS CAN BE VERY HELPFUL ON YOUR HYDROFOIL OR KITESURF BOARD.

Having footstraps on your board helps train your muscle memory safely for tricks and airs by keeping your board on your feet. Slingshot Surf footstraps can easily be placed on your board and just as easily removed, exactly like training wheels.

Watch this quick how-to video for installing surf footstraps onto your hydrofoil or kitesurf board. Be sure to follow the steps carefully.

It is super important to run your mounting screws through the anti-twist plates AND the beefy strap webbing – not just the leather tab. The hole in the webbing can be found under the neoprene cover at the end of each surf strap. The screw must run through the anti-twist plate, the webbing, and finally through the little leather tab on the underside of the surf strap. Make sure you don’t skip the webbing! If you only run it through the bottom leather flap, your surf straps will fail.  Make sure to check your screws frequently. 

Wing foil

TRANSITIONING FROM SUP BOARD TO FOIL BOARD WHEN LEARNING TO WING FOIL.

Life is one big evolutionary process. Obviously, you are the best judge of that evolution, but if you are curious, here is how to know when you are truly ready to transition from wing surfing on your SUP and daggerboard to winging on a foil.

Kiteboard

THE DESIGN DIFFERENCE – THE NEW SST V6 KITE

THE ALL NEW SST V6 HAS SUPER SURF TECHNOLOGY. 

The SST V6 is lighter and more streamlined with a strategic design to progress the development of your wave-riding performance.

Designed to the super surf technology standards of wave-riding pioneer and industry icon, Ben Wilson, this all-new iteration of the SST builds upon its legendary legacy. From Alex Fox, Kite Brand Manager, here is the tech update on what to expect in your favorite wave kite. 

What were the design objectives of the SST V6?

We had a few different directions at first. We ended up signing Ben Wilson early on in the development of the V6. Immediately we sent Ben the SST V5 for testing. After a few zoom calls and lengthy discussions, we determined the direction of the V6. Ben made it really apparent during those conversations that drift was his number one requirement. The SST V5 really focused on speed and response as its primary characteristic. Tony and the design team knew how to retain the speed, and response consumers loved about the V5 and improve the drift.

What did the design team do specifically to improve the drift on the SST V6?

Tony and the design team used and implemented some of their discoveries from the UFO development to improve the drift. The UFO has the most drift out of any kite in our lineup and arguably the market as a whole. One of the most significant aspects of drifting properties is obviously the weight. Looking at the SST V6, it’s easy to see where we eliminated areas of excess weight. We have a new innovation that we are dubbing “micro struts.” These struts are the thinnest struts we have ever produced. This eliminates so much weight bit also provides plenty of structure for the overall kite frame.

We also reduced our canopy paneling. We have reduced the panels from 138 individual panels to 20. This has reduced the weight and allowed for a slightly deeper canopy profile that enables better drift.

If you look at the V6, we also reduced our graphics and screen printing. This minimal approach to graphic applications also reduces weight. Ink is actually really heavy and can significantly affect the performance of a kite, especially when it comes to drift.

One Aspect of the V6 that remained and carried over from the V5 is the leading edge shaping. If you are familiar with the kite, the SST has a unique LE shape that almost pulls back to center. This almost pitched look on the beach significantly improves the drift while the kite is in the air. Ben Wilson clued into this immediately during testing and determined this LE shape needed to remain on the future models.

Was weight reduction the only focus of the design team?

Although reducing the V6’s weight was critical, it wasn’t our only focus. We had a few other key areas of improvement. Although the V5 was fast and responsive, we wanted to increase turning speed and feedback response, especially in the larger sizes. Tony developed and tested some new wingtip shapes and then finally settled in on a new design. This new wingtip actually increases the depth of the kite’s profile. We quickly noticed that when the kites is engaged in an extreme turn or direction change the opposite wingtip has the ability to catch and respond. This increases the kite’s feedback and turning speed. Ben spends the majority of his time in Fiji on 10’s & 12’s so it was imperative to gain some turning speed in those sizes. After this wingtip adjustment, we knew we were settling in on a final direction.

Any other fundamental changes?

When developing the RPX, we were also hunting for weight reduction and response. One change that we made on that model that was critical for its success was the new streamlined bridle system. It was only logical to implement that new line on this new SST. This line reduces drag through the air which yields two very important results in a wave kite; better speed, and more drift.

We have also implemented our new one pump speed system. This new larger and more robust one pump system has been implemented on other kite models, including the RPX v1 and Rally GT v2, and it helps inflate the kites faster and with less effort.

What has remained the same on the V6 from the V5?

We have chosen to continue with the 4×4 Canopy technology. This canopy material is exceptionally stiff and durable. We knew early on in the development of the SST V6 that we wanted to maintain this material application as it’s perfect for wave kites.

Kitesurfing

Spreader Bar : Fixed Hook or Sliding Rope?

Take a look at what Fixed Hooks and Sliding ropes has to offer.

Fixed Hook – Positives

• Solid, direct connection to the harness that translates to a direct feel to the kite.

• Able to apply leverage against the kite that can help keep control in shaky landings of jumps.

• Can quickly unhook for unhooked tricks.

• Durable metal construction that,with proper care,will last a lifetime.

Fixed Hook – Challenges

• Hard to efficiently ride toeside since the Fixed Hook limits the chicken loop’s ability to slide withthe kite across your body.

• There is a possibility that you can come unhooked when you don’t want to.

Fixed Hook is best for:

• Big-air riders.

• Freeriders wanting the most direct feel from the kite• Hydrofoil riders that want to have the ability to leverage against the hook.

• Beginner riders

Rope Slider – Positives

• Completely free motion of the chicken loop makes riding toeside and upwind body dragging much more efficient.

• Board direction changes are easier in surf due to the chicken loop’s ability to move across the body.

• When combined with a smaller chicken loop,the throw of the bar is much closer, which is great for:

A) Kitesurfers wanting to achieve more depower on the sheeting out.

B) Short-armed riders who want to be able to easily reach above-the-bar trim systems.

Rope Slider – Challenges

• The kite feels looser and not as connected to the rider.

• Challenging to use when self-launching and self-landing off a fixed point.

• The rope will wear out with time/use.

Rope Slider is best for:

• Kitesurfers wanting the closest-to-surfing feel • Freeride hydrofoilers.

• Riders using a directional board.

• Freeriders that love to ride toeside.

Surfing, Windsurfing

Best Harness for Kite foiling

Despite its importance, a harness is often undervalued. Never let a bad-fitting harness limit your progress or your sessions.

If you’re serious about kite foiling, you need to know about the best harness for kitefoiling. Discover the full freedom of movement with the original hardshell harness, with sliding rope combination.

With an ever-growing wealth of tech talk about foiling, wing sizes and shapes, material type, board
styles and kite profile, one piece of the equation that’s often an afterthought is the harness. Your harness is your connection to the wind. If that relationship is uncomfortable or inadequate, it will impede the quality of your session. If you’ve ever struggled with a harness that doesn’t fit right, hurts your back,
squeezes and twists around your waist or rides up to your armpits, you know just how important a good
one really is. So, what is the best harness for foiling? Simple: A hard-shell harness with a sliding rope spreader bar.
Ride Engine created the concept years ago and, seeing just how impactful it was, several other brands have followed suit with their own versions. The concept is brilliant- integrate a hard shell into the backplate of a harness to provide rigid support that doesn’t squeeze your waist, twist or ride up the way
traditional harnesses are notorious for. The shell locks in place in the lumbar section of your back, while the sliding rope spreader bar provides a fluid connection to your kite that allows you to rotate your hips and change the kite’s angle of pull without having to twist your harness.

These benefits are golden for foiling. Whether you’re edging upwind, riding toeside, long-distance
touring or just cruising, the low-profile fit, the support and the freedom of movement will completely
change your foiling experience.
If you’re in the market, we highly recommend checking a Ride Engine hard shell harness with a sliding rope spreader
bar. You won’t regret it.

Kitesurfing

How Do You Choose Between Carbon and Composite Engine Harnesses?

When it comes to choosing between what’s right for you, there are numerous things to factor in.

Which Ride Engine harness frame material is best for you? Carbon fiber or composite? Here are some things to consider:

STIFFNESS

Both of our harness models offer a dramatically improved level of stiffness over flimsy soft-shell harnesses, which tend to buckle and deform in powered-up conditions. The stiffer the harness the more the pull of the kite will be spread around your mid-section. And, similar to mountain bikes and road bikes, when carbon fiber is utilized, frame stiffness is maximized. If you have back problems or demand the ultimate immobility and comfort from your harness, the firm fit and extra stiffness of the Elite Carbon is absolutely the way to go. If you’re looking for a little torsional flex added into the mix without sacrificing comfort, then Prime is your best choice thanks to its more forgiving composite frame.

DAMPING

A golf club or tennis racket made from carbon fiber will absorb vibrations that come from hitting the ball. The result is a damper “feel” throughout the club or racket into your hands. That same dampness translates to our Elite Carbon harness—you’ll be less jarred while riding and boosting, thanks to a smoother delivery of forces through the entire harness. What this does is provide a cushier feel to your harness without sacrificing stiffness.

COST

Carbon fiber is a more expensive and more complex material to build with than fiberglass/nylon composite, and this is reflected in the cost difference between the Elite Carbon and Prime. The frame of the Elite Carbon is built with12k carbon fiber(Tech Translation: 12K means there are 12,000 micro-strands of carbon-fiber filament in each “tow”, or roll, of carbon fiber). We use 12k because it provides maximum stiffness while also conforming and draping easier during the manufacturing of the harness frame without requiring as many layers or as much resin to achieve the frame’s shape, which produces an overall lighter frame than if we used a 3k or 6k carbon fiber.